Out of my platoon of 45, we have had 8 suicides since we have been home. Its a combination of things. My secret has been to immerse myself in my work and my wife/kids. I have also mostly quit drinking entirely. That has been a huge help.

When I went to combat the first time, I had some college under my belt and a trajectory already in place. When I got out, I pursued a graduate degree and that took up all my time/energy. When you exhaust yourself with other things, you don't have time to dwell on things. Not everyone has this luxury. When I went the second time, I had my degree and alot of options when I got home. In other words, where a person was before they were in the service can play a huge role in where they end up. For most of us, our time in service was the best we will ever be in life. I know it was for me. I will never be that strong, fast, witted or alert again. I think that is true of most everyone.

Now imagine the guy who comes home having seen whatever he sees, but he is now home with no post HS education, no good job prospects, a history of family poverty, crime or substance abuse. Or someone whose wife can't deal with his post-deployment shite and leaves, taking his kids. Or he can't find or keep a job because of untreated issues. These things can all snowball and make someone give up fast. This is not in indictment of military service, but the horrors of war change people and can have a paralyzing effect on simple tasks of life that seem effortless to the average person. This leads to anger, sorrow and hopelessness. Then you turn to drugs, alcohol and eventually end it all.

I still have battles with the demons, but I have learned to recognize the triggers and avoid them if possible. Staying busy is the key.

One thing I have learned over the past few years is that you have a very small window to reach people in this kind of distress. If you are not paying attention, you may miss it and by the time you realize it, its too late.